A January night in Chicago: 721 homeless veterans, 465 of which were living in shelters, and 256 that had no place to call home whatsoever.

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel wants that number to be reduced, and drastically. In fact, he, like several other mayors across the United States, have pledged to end veteran homelessness within their city by the end of 2015.

Though several cities within the U.S. have actively been combating this issue for some time, the recent remarks from mayors such as Emanuel have come as a result of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness.

“It is an audacious goal, but it is achievable, absolutely achievable,” Obama said in her announcement, citing that in the last three years, we as a country have already decreased veteran homelessness by 24 percent.

Read more at http://blog.theveteranssite.com/more-and-more-mayors-are-pledging-to-end-veteran-homelessness-by-the-end-of-2015/#BftK7Uf3k4zyB5Kt.99